Picker,’ city reach an agreement

Saturday

Mar 23, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

“American Pickers” may be a popular TV show on the History channel, but Leominster “picker” Archille “Archie” Plette’s extensive collection —considered a nuisance by some of his neighbors and a health hazard by the city’s Board of Health — just has to go, the city says.

Some consider it treasure hunting, modern archaeology or recycling, but the Leominster Board of Health calls Mr. Plette a hoarder and his “junk” collection in his yard on Stuart Avenue a health threat and fire hazard.

Although the many lawn mowers and snow blowers, boats, generators, tires, engine parts, antique cars and scrap metal that cover his yard — which he has bought over the years or picked up for free — are worth money, his wife, Patricia Plette, says her 63-year-old husband just isn’t well enough to keep up with the collection anymore.

Mrs. Plette was in court Friday morning, standing in for her husband regarding a request by the city to put the couple’s property into receivership to ensure it is cleaned up. The case initially ended up in court last year and the couple was issued an injunction last summer, fined more than $3,000 and subsequently was found in contempt of court in December for not complying with the order to clean it up.

The Board of Health said it has no issues with the inside of the home, just the exterior.

Mrs. Plette, who works full time, told Housing Court Judge Timothy F. Sullivan during the hearing Friday morning that the snow and her husband’s ailing health impeded cleanup efforts.

“He is not well and has gangrene in one toe,” she said. “He is not able to get around well.”

Moreover, he had a recent heart attack, and seven strokes have affected his cognitive abilities, she said. He has also seemed confused the last six months, she said.

“He didn’t sleep at all last night,” Mrs. Plette said of her husband.

The Plettes’ close friend, Ken Lacoss of Westminster, who attended the hearing, said his father, Mark Lacoss, built motors and fixed engines with Mr. Plette. He said he does not believe the city received that many complaints about the property, and he helped Mr. Plette move some of the materials. The couple has had trouble finding a lawyer to represent them, he said.

“This is a case of the average Joe trying to represent themselves and the city is going against them,” Mr. Lacoss said. “Are there really any neighbors complaining? Where’s the proof of that?”

In the hall outside the courtroom, Mrs. Plette reached an agreement with the Leominster Board of Health after Judge Sullivan recommended they attempt to work it out before making a decision on the matter.

She agreed to have receiver Michael F. O’Rourke from Worcester County Management work with the family to remove the items from the property once it goes into receivership in the next work or so.

Mr. O’Rourke said he will let the family decide if they want to rent their own storage space, and he will work with them on auctioning the collection or holding a “yard sale.”

The money will pay for Mr. O’Rourke’s costs, including the cost of moving the collection and any attorney fees, and anything left over will go to the family, Mr. O’Rourke said.

Many of the items, including a Model A Ford and a fruit truck from the same era, are quite valuable, Mr. O’Rourke said.

Mrs. Plette left the courthouse relieved that Mr. O’Rourke was going to intercede, although he will need to place a $50,000 lien on her property to ensure it is cleaned up.

After all, she said, her first grandchild, a baby boy, was arriving shortly, and she would love to see him running around the yard and push him on the swings one day. Her daughter, from Rhode Island, an only child, is due in the next few weeks, she said.

After years of struggling with the city and dealing with her husband’s immense collection herself, she said she sees light at the end of the tunnel.

There was just one hurdle for Mrs. Plette to overcome after leaving court: Going home and telling her husband, a self-proclaimed picker with a stubborn-streak, what had happened in court.

“I think I’ll let him watch it on the news,” she said. “I’m going to go shopping now.”

Though the receiver has the authority to return to court if he is unable to recoup his costs with the sale of some of Mr. Plette’s collection, Mr. O’Rourke said he has no plans of doing that.

“I have one of these in Fitchburg and four in Worcester right now, and these aren’t pretty,” he said. “I’ll try to work with (Mr. Plette) and see if he’ll rent a storage bin and warehouse. If he cleans the lot with me, I can walk away. Basically, it just has to be clean.”

He said it will take about a month to clean it up, but his relationship will continue with the Plettes for several months thereafter to ensure the items do not return to their home.

“It will be good to get the place back,” Mrs. Plette said. “I’d like to have lawn furniture and a lawn again. I’m relieved it is worked out and we came to a resolution to move forward.”

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG.